The background of the invention will be discussed in two parts.
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to golf training apparatus, and more particularly to a golf sight training apparatus including a shield or lens member attachable to a sun visor or brim of a golf cap for enabling one to determine and concentrate on the sight eye during practice.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various golf training devices have been devised, such as mats having position markings thereon for foot placement and devices for attachment to the head or a hat, for teaching keeping the eye on the ball and non-movement of the head during the golf swing.
One such device comprises a flat piece of material, such as plastic or cardboard, attached to the brim of a cap by clips, with the material provided with a peephole to train the golfer to keep his eye on the ball.
Another such device includes a pair of eyeglasses for golfers having laterally slidable vision screens mounted in tracks in each eyeglass opening. Each vision screen has a transparent upper portion and a lower opaque portion with a vertical slit, the golfer adjusting the slit for each eye for viewing the ball through the adjusted slits.
Another such sighting device for teaching a golfer to keep the head motionless includes eyeglasses having a circular target sight on each lens. The lenses may be transparent upper portion and a lower opaque so that when using two sights, the sights blend to appear as a single hazy circular shadow encircling the ball.
Such prior art golf training devices do not take into consideration the fact that the vast majority of people have a dominant eye. Furthermore, such devices are constructed with the belief that the head must remain motionless. In the golf swing there are several factors that relate to the head, shoulders, and body position during back swing and follow through that have been widely used and quite effectively. There is one factor that is very important that has been talked about for several years but largely ignored. Most golfers are right handed and generally those people are also right eye dominant. However, with right handed golfers, the left eye is nearer the target. As a means of teaching one to keep the head still and keep the eye on the ball, for right handed golfers, some golf professionals teach cocking the head to the right when addressing the ball, thus placing the presumable dominant right eye in the position of having to look at the ball past the bridge of the nose.
When a golfer aligns himself to the correct position over a golf ball with his eye sight dominant from the wrong side, the dominant side will align the head in the wrong position, i.e., a line of sight from the left side being the correct one and one from the right side being wrong due to an angle instead of a straight line from the eye to the ball. Many golfers turn their heads to the right to align the head with the left eye pointing straight down, these golfers being naturally right handed. Left handed people do the same, but in the opposite direction. This assists in solving the problem of the position of the head at address, but it puts the head out of the proper position at address. This can cause all kinds of problems, such as swaying, jerking, shoulder roll and being too far forward in stance. Head movement is one of the most crucial areas to the golf swing. Other areas of this syndrome can also be explored. Training the eyes for sighting the shot is also crucial. Golf lessons that are given today teach, in more cases than not, that the golfer should stand to the ball, look at where he wants to hit the ball, place this in his conscious mind by seeing the shot occur, look at the ball and hit it. However, the target is just about blocked out before you get to the ball with your swing.
An object of the present invention is to help the golfer train his eyes to see the ball, and, with practice as the dominant eye is trained, eye knowledge will be translated to the brain.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a training apparatus in which eye dominance is located, eye dominance is trained, head movement is limited, stance of feet is shown, parallel head alignment is shown and track of back swing and tempos can be taught.
It is further object of the present invention to provide a method of training an eye to become more dominant over the other normally dominant eye and a method of teaching tempo and direction in a golfer's back swing and follow through. This can be applied to both a full swing or a putting stroke.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a method of training that applies to other sports where eye dominance is required, such as hitting a ball, pitching a ball, or shooting a gun, by way of examples.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a method of training for head movement in the golf swing and focusing of concentration for the eyes to see the ball at impact.